Knee Jerk Reaction...Question

[JRutledge]

You obviously do not understand how officials are hired. If you did, then it would be clearer. Officials are hired by different assignors all together. There is not just one guy or gal that sits out there and hires everyone to do college. The Missouri Valley Conference and the SWAC conference have different assignors all together. In games like the Maui Classic, I am sure that you probably had officials that were in 3 different conferences. The one guy that birddogs might be in a conference that wants them to birddog more. But also understand that birddogging is not outlawed in college, it is used more for clarification of the player that fouled.

Now about the SET STANDARD THAT YOU WANT, well you have to take that up with the NCAA. I have never said that I understand or agree with everything done at that level, but that is just the way it is.

I do not know of you do football, but the Big Ten and the SEC have their officials put their penalty flags in two different places. The Big 10 (and many midwestern conferences that I am aware of) have the officials put their flags in their waist in front. The SEC has the officials put the flags in their back pocket. Now this might not be a big thing or seem like a big thing, but it is very different in philosophy.

I do not know why, I just know it is. You might have to talk to some D1 refs yourself, maybe they understand it better than I do.

Originally posted by Indy_Ref
Rut, you have taught me something about the differing mechanics from conference to conference, but that doesn't explain why guys do NOT do the same things IN THE SAME FREAKING GAME. That is my main point! I was watching the Maui Classic and saw one guy bird-dog while two others didn't...one guy stop the clock (ever so briefly) and then point to which way to go on an out-of-bounds ball while another guys didn't.

I know what you're going to say, "Well, those were officials from all over and they were stuck doing games together..." True, but I believe the NF sets a good example for having a STANDARD SET OF MECHANICS. Why can't the NCAA have a standard set?? I have a few NCAA books that show college mechanics. NOWHERE do I see were it says, "If you're in the Big East, then do this..." or "If you're in the Big Ten, then do this..." or "If you're doing women's games, then do this..."

I know that NF mechanics aren't exactly the same as NCAA or NBA. But wouldn't it be nice to have a standard set of mechanics for each level?? Even though they don't have to be the same from level to level?

I'm just saying that it makes MUCH more sense to me to do it this way.